Fred Diehl Osceola

Fred P. Diehl, 80, of Osceola passed away peacefully Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

Fred was born in Leon on Aug. 24, 1936, to Perry and Mary (McNair) Diehl. He was raised on the family farm in Clarke County, and was a 1954 graduate of Osceola High School. He received his Bachelor of Science in agricultural education with a minor in communications at Iowa State University in 1958. He married his high-school sweetheart, Annabelle Stansell at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ames on Nov. 23, 1957.

Fred received his commission in ROTC at Iowa State and served in the US Army Artillery unit for six months and the remainder of his eight-year term in the U.S. Army Reserves, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant.

He owned Fred Diehl Insurance Center on the square in Osceola from 1971 to 1996. After selling his business, Fred remained active with mayoral duties and enjoyed substitute teaching.

Fred’s earnest devotion to public service led to his serving nine terms as mayor of Osceola from August 1994 through December 2015. Fred was proud of the city of Osceola and his enthusiasm was well-known throughout southern Iowa. He was an active member of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Osceola where he served as a lector, and a member of the finance council and Knights of Columbus.

He was active in many local organizations including the Osceola Lions Club, Rotary Club and the American Legion. He was vice president of the Osceola Chamber of Commerce and secretary of the Clarke County Reservoir Commission. Fred considered it a privilege to give back to the community through service on Osceola Chamber of Commerce, Clarke County Development Corporation and Clarke County Hospital Board. He was the recipient of the 1999 annual Community Service Award in Osceola. Later, the governor of Iowa appointed Fred to serve on the Vision Iowa Board from 2010 to 2013.

Fred hosted sitting Vice President Al Gore as an overnight guest in the Diehl family home while Gore campaigned for President in 1999.

He spent 20-plus years to attain and improve the local Depot facility. The restored Osceola Historic Depot campus was officially named the “Fred and Ann Diehl Depot Plaza” in honor of their diligent work on this project in August 2015.

Fred never met a stranger. He loved to travel and loved meeting new people.

Fred is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ann; daughter Laura Haines of Osceola; grandchildren, Bret, Austin, Britteny and Blakelee; son David and wife Kathy of Thousand Oaks, California; grandchildren, Kylie and Jace; son Matt and wife Cathy of Pella; grandchildren, Emalea, Jacob, Benjamin and Josiah; son Michael and wife Dawn of Oskaloosa; grandchildren, Gabrielle and Joshua; sister Rita (Mike) Dauw of Mankato, Minnesota; sister-in-law Linda (Richard) Ruble of Des Moines; many nieces and nephews other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother William (Bill) Diehl.

Memorial gifts may be directed to St. Bernard Catholic Church or to pulmonary fibrosis research at Mayo Clinic. Research gifts can be mailed directly to: Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.kalefuneralhome.com.